1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for reproducing (i.e., playing back) media data, a media reproduction (i.e., playback) apparatus and a vehicle.
2. Related Art
Vehicles, such as automobiles, use a large number of apparatuses to receive and reproduce (i.e., playback) media, such as radio programs, television programs and telephone calls. In this case, digital media data are stored in a reception buffer following reception in order to compensate for the usually discontinuous transmission of digital data in packets.
When digital audio data and/or video data are transmitted from a source to the sink, for example, a stable and interference-free reproduction practically always requires buffering of the data at a receiver end in order to compensate for fluctuations during the data transmission (jitter). Since the buffer first needs to be filled, particularly before the beginning of reproduction, reproduction usually starts after a delay. This becomes noticeable when changing over from one audio stream to another, for example.
A similar problem can arise when different media sources need to be synchronized. An example that may be mentioned is an automobile radio that can receive the same radio station either in analog form using FM or in digital form using DAB. So as always to be able to provide the listener with the best (that is to say: interference-free) sound quality, the radio can change over between reproduction of the analog signal and the digital signal on a case by case basis. For technical reasons, the audio signal may be subject to a time delay between the two cited reception paths. Should it be desirable to perform the changes as actually as possible, matching therefore needs to take place in the receiver by delaying the leading signal by buffering. In this case, the problem again arises that the selected audio source cannot be reproduced immediately but rather the reception buffer is filled first.
For the time for the buffering, either the audio signal from a previous source continues to be reproduced or the reproduction is muted.